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Summary Offences Act 1981

Offences resembling forgery or fraud

18: Imitation of court documents

You could also call this:

"Don't fake court documents or you could get a $500 fine"

Illustration for Summary Offences Act 1981

You can get a fine of up to $500 if you send or deliver a document that looks like it is from a court or a Judge. This can happen if the document is meant to trick someone into thinking it is real. You can also get a fine if you print or sell a document that is meant to be used in a way that would trick someone. You can get a fine even if the person who got the document was not actually tricked by it. It does not matter if the document does not look like a real court document, you can still get a fine. If you print or sell a document that could be used to trick someone, you can get a fine of up to $500. You might want to check the Summary Offences Amendment Act 1998 for more information about this law.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM53558.

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Topics:
Crime and justice > Courts and legal helpCrime and justice > Criminal law
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17: Publishing false notice of birth, marriage, civil union, or death, or

"Don't publish fake news about births, marriages, or deaths"

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19: Imitation of official documents, or

"Don't fake official documents or you could get a $500 fine"

18Imitation of court documents

  1. Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding $500 who sends or delivers or causes to be sent or delivered to any other person any document that is intended or is likely, by reason of its wording or appearance or in any other manner, to cause any person to believe, contrary to the fact, that—

  2. the document has been issued by or with the authority of a court or Judge or Justice or Community Magistrate, or an officer of a court; or
    1. the issue or delivery of the document has any legal effect or operation as a step or process in or preliminary to any civil or criminal proceedings.

      1. Every person is liable to a fine not exceeding $500 who prints or sells or offers for sale any printed form of document intended to be filled up and used as a document the delivery of which to any person would constitute an offence against subsection (1).

      2. It is no defence in a prosecution under this section that—

      3. the person who received the document was not actually deceived by it; or
        1. the document does not purport to be any summons, notice, or other document—
          1. that any actual court or Judge or Justice or Community Magistrate, or any officer of a court, has authority to issue; or
            1. the issue of which has any legal effect or operation of a kind referred to in subsection (1).

            Compare
            • 1927 No 35 s 20(1)–(3)
            • 1967 No 154 s 2(1)
            Notes
            • Section 18(1)(a): amended, on , by section 2 of the Summary Offences Amendment Act 1998 (1998 No 80).
            • Section 18(3)(b)(i): amended, on , by section 2 of the Summary Offences Amendment Act 1998 (1998 No 80).